THE FOLK ART MESSENGER is a publication featuring articles about self-taught artists, exhibition and book reviews, news, an international calendar of events, and much more.

The Folk Art Society holds its annual CONFERENCE in a different city each year. Attendees have the opportunity to meet experts in the field as well as artists and other members of similar interests. Conference highlights include viewing museum exhibitions, touring regional folk art environments and private collections, visiting galleries and purchasing works of art at the annual benefit auction. Past conferences have been held in Richmond, Chicago, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington, Milwaukee, Houston, Lexington (Ky.), San Diego, Richmond, Savannah, St. Louis, Oakland, Chicago, Phoenix, Louisville, Washington DC, St. Petersburg, and Santa Fe.

The Folk Art Society's research library of books, exhibition catalogues, videotapes, slides, photographs and primary source materials continues to grow, serving as a repository for important scholarship and information about individual artists and the field of self-taught art as a whole. We welcome contributions of materials.

In addition, the Folk Art Society has created Project SAFE (Save Art and Folk Environments), involving community preservation efforts. Rev. Anderson Johnson's Faith Mission in Newport News, Va., is an example where community awareness was raised and Johnson's murals were saved.

Gift Membership**

Price:$35.00

Individual Membership

Price:$35.00

Family Membership

Price:$50.00

Overseas Membership

Price:$65.00

Contributing Membership

Price:$100.00

Bronze Star Membership

Price:$250.00

Silver Star Membership

Price:$500.00

Gold Star Membership

Price:$1,000.00

Mission Statement

The Folk Art Society of America, founded in 1987, is a nonprofit organization that advocates the documentation, preservation and exhibition of folk art, folk artists and folk art environments, with an emphasis on the contemporary. We publish The Folk Art Messenger free to members, and produce an annual Conference with symposia, special exhibitions and an auction. Our online Calendar lists current, upcoming and ongoing folk-art-related events and exhibitions.